Tips for Starting a Daycare Center

Maybe you’re a mommy who can’t find the perfect daycare center to trust your little one with, or maybe you’ve noticed a need in your community for quality childcare. Whatever your launch point, you’ve made the big decision to leap into the childcare business--and we applaud you for that! This should prove to be a rewarding and successful venture if you approach the planning process with a few tips in mind.

Do your research.

Before you embark on this adventure, you should be certain it’s right for both you and your community. Do a needs assessment before you invest your time and money into this venture. Also consider all your options: Are you planning an in-home daycare, or will you look for a facility? Maybe you’re only interested in infant care? Whatever you are considering as your focus, Child Care Aware is a great resource as you start your planning process. They publish guides to each type of childcare business and walk you through the process at the planning level.

Employ the right tools.

Take advantage of the many fantastic technologies available to daycare centers these days. Streamline your administrative tasks and you’ll have more time to focus on providing top-notch childcare to your families--which is your whole goal anyway, right? Brightwheel is an easy-to-use mobile software app that will help you manage your school and stay in touch with families. Your staff will use brightwheel for recording and tracking daily events and activities in the classroom, and parents get real-time updates delivered to their mobile device throughout the day. This powerful app also offers secure, digital check-in/check-out, and an automated paperless billing system. This is a great way to keep your families looped in on daily activities.

Don’t forget marketing!

Depending on your size, you’ll probably need marketing collateral and an online presence. Advertise through local businesses, parent groups, local events, popular blogs. Try sites like Parenthoods or Red Tricycle, and don’t forget about social media. You could start with a campaign focusing on your target population, or host a grand opening event to attract families. The point is that once you’ve managed to fill your daycare center, you’ll need to continue with ongoing marketing efforts so that you’re always building a customer base.

Brightwheel is everything you need for your preschool or childcare center, in one simple app.Download ittoday!